1899: Washougal, an Indian Romance
The folklore behind an Indigenous place-name is Whitemansplained; some excellent Chinuk Wawa emerges from the layers of fiction and lavish illustrations.
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“Upsaynt” plant
Here’s what I consider a probable Canadian French discovery in the Fort Vancouver region — and yes, I suspect it must be a Chinuk Wawa word new to us.
1870: Father Denis Lamure OMI dies
Another, and quite little-known, frontier-era Oblate missionary in BC who used Chinook: Father Denis (‘Dionysius’) Lamure OMI.
1912: Chinese Pidgin English opium deal
I continue researching “that other pidgin” of our region (West Coast-style Chinese Pidgin English), and this find was kind of colorful…
Has anyone seen “Thompson’s Complete Guide to the New Gold Regions”?
Reader challenge: There’s a frontier-era Chinuk Wawa vocabulary that I’ve never laid eyes on, nor heard about till recently…
1898: The popular Antwine story retold
A local “character”…
1891: Captain Bill committed, Victoria, BC
In the early post-frontier period, Chinuk Wawa continued as an important tool for contact between the Indigenous people of the Victoria area and the increasing population of Settlers.
Circa 1850: One clŭtchman good! Want two clŭtchman!
Chinuk Wawa was indeed current in southwest Oregon and northwest California in early frontier times; here’s more evidence.
1858-60: A puzzler, gestures, & “their language”
John Keast Lord was a talented, fun-loving English naturalist & veterinarian on the US-British Boundary Commission that set limits between my greedy American ancestors and my defenceless Canadian ancestors 🙂
“I don’t know, some American.”
Lovely fragments of good Chinuk Wawa from Vancouver Island Salish people: